


Hang A Shining Star (we'll muddle through somehow)

by C-chan (1001paperboxes)



Category: Kamen Rider Den-O
Genre: Christmas, Ensemble Cast, Family Feels, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-25
Updated: 2018-12-25
Packaged: 2019-09-26 23:48:25
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,380
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17151308
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/1001paperboxes/pseuds/C-chan
Summary: Owner tells Ryoutarou to invite Airi onto the DenLiner for Christmas. Kohana seems to vehemently hate the holiday. Can Ryoutarou figure out what's going on?





	Hang A Shining Star (we'll muddle through somehow)

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Graphite Dragon (Amoenna)](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Amoenna/gifts).



It was Owner's idea to invite Airi onto the DenLiner for Christmas.

At first, Ryoutou was shocked at the suggestion. Airi didn't have a ticket, after all, and while Owner didn't mind breaking the rules sometimes, he generally didn't suggest it outright. However, as he was so kind as to explain, passage on all public transportation was free on Christmas and New Years as a service to customers, and to promote safe travel.

Plus, she'd been on the train once before, even if she didn't remember it at the time, and the DenLiner always enjoyed repeat visitors.

As long as she boarded on Christmas Eve, and departed by the first sunset of the New Year, she'd be more than welcome.

* * *

The conversation with Owner was supposed to have been private. And yet, as he opened the door to the dining car to find Naomi, Kohana, and all four Imagin clustered together, all holding cups or rolled up paper cones, he had a feeling it had been anything but.

Ryuutaros was practically bursting with excitement as he jumped up and down. "Waaai! Onee-chan's coming! Onee-chan's coming!"

Momotaros gave the dark Imagin a shove. "You're not supposed to let him know we were listening, dummy!"

"Who cares?" Ryuutaros retorted. "Owner said Onee-chan's coming, and that's all that matters. Do you think she likes bunk beds? I'd let her have the top one if she wanted!"

"Ladies don't sleep in bunk beds," Urataros replied. "Clearly she should have something more comfortable, and a less annoying roommate than you."

"Hey! Don't argue!" Naomi cut in. "I'll make some special hot cocoa to celebrate if you help!"

That seemed to catch the Imagin's attention, and they all followed Naomi to her workstation, leaving Ryoutarou to sigh in relief. Their excitement was premature—he hadn't even asked Airi yet, after all—but knowing that everyone wanted her there was good.

Or almost everyone, anyway. 

Kohana gave Ryoutarou a long, unreadable look, then walked out of the dining car without a word.

December was still young, and there would be time to talk to both Airi and Kohana before Christmas Eve was upon them. In the meantime, he'd just have to figure out what he'd done to bother Kohana, and how to breach the topic of spending Christmas on board a time travelling train to his sister.

* * *

Everyone seemed to enjoy decorating the DenLiner for Christmas.

Naomi started topping everyone's beverages with red and white foam, and serving them in mugs decorated with all sorts of Santas, snowmen, and reindeer. Ryuutaros made long paper chains, which Urataros used to decorate the walls. Momotaros put up a small Christmas tree on top of one of the dining car tables, and then swore profusely as it fell over the next time the train hit a sharp curve. Even Kintaros was somewhat in the spirit, napping with tinsel wrapped around his torso.

But Kohana refused to take part in any of it. She was spending less and less time in the dining car these days, sometimes avoiding it altogether except to grab food. Even when she was there, all it took was the mention of Christmas to get her storming out.

"Man, what's her problem?" Momotaros asked, watching her go after Naomi started humming _Jingle Bells_ as she prepared another mug of hot cocoa.

"I don't know," Ryoutarou replied, "but I'm going to find out."

* * *

Finding Kohana wasn't too difficult. They'd all been using the train long enough to know which sleeper cabin belonged to which individual, after all.

Ryoutarou knocked on the door, not wanting to arrive unannounced. Upon receiving no response, he opened the door to find Kohana inside, staring at the changing scenery as it rushed past the window.

"Hey," he said, taking a seat beside her on the pull-out bed. "Is everything okay?"

Kohana turned and glared at him and then, after a moment of that not working, deflated. 

"I don't know."

"Why don't you know?" Ryoutarou wondered.

"Because I don't," she replied, crossing her arms over her chest.

Ryoutarou sighed. Hana had quite a temper, and that hadn't changed in the least when she became younger. At least, despite the lack of information, he could still take an educated guess at the problem.

"Do you hate Christmas?"

"No!"

The immediate response shocked Ryoutarou with its vehemence, but clearly she wasn't done yet.

"There's a lot of things I like about Christmas. Like presents and Santa and Christmas Cake. It's just…."

"Just what?" Ryoutarou prompted.

Kohana sighed. "Just… all my happy Christmas memories are with my family. A lot of my happy memories are, even if I'm making new ones with you. But Christmas in particular is hard. And now, you've going to invite my mom onboard, except it's a mom who doesn't remember me, who doesn't know that I should exist."

"Oh…." Ryoutaou frowned, trying to imagine Kohana's point of view. What would it be like to have his parents come back from the dead but not remember him? How much would his heart hurt?

The answer, he was sure, was very.

"I could not ask her, if you like," he offered.

Kohana looked up at him. "What?"

"I haven't asked her yet," Ryoutarou explained. "If you wanted, I could just go and tell Owner that I'm going to spend Christmas at the Milk Dipper instead, or lie and say that she's on vacation, or something."

Her eyes widened. "You would do that for me?"

"Of course," Ryoutarou agreed. "This is your home, far much more than it is mine. If you need someone not to be here for a while, then we can make sure they're not here. Just so long as you don't throw me off a moving train again, anyway…."

Kohana gave a bark of laughter. "Number one, it's your own fault for letting the Imagin be so rowdy. Number two… let her come."

Now it was Ryoutarou's time to look at Kohana in surprise. "Are you sure?"

"Yeah," Kohana replied. "Christmas Day is supposed to be spent with family, right? And you're pretty much family with all of us here. For us, you have to be here as part of our family. And your sister needs to be here too, because she's part of your family, and part of mne."

That was very mature, coming from a child her age, he thought to himself. But then, Kohana's age was variable, thanks to the mysteries of time and space and junction points, so maybe it was just mature enough.

"Okay then," he said at last. "If you're sure you're okay with it, I'll invite her next chance I get."

Kohana nodded her ascent, then paused in thought. "Maybe you should invite Yuuto, too. I think… I think it's time for me to have a family reunion."

* * *

From the looks of it, Airi didn't remember anything as she boarded the train. This wasn't surprising, but something within Ryoutarou had wondered, and hoped that she would, and that things would require less explanation. But Airi was happy to marvel at every detail of the train, from the paper chains adorning the walls to the crystal stars that Yuuto was applying to a very bolted down tree.

Santa would be coming that night, and in the morning there would be presents underneath, but for now, there was more important business to attend to.

Ryoutarou bade Airi sit down, then ushered Yuuto to do the same, beside her. Yuuto gave him a questioning look as he took his place as directed, but it melted into understanding as Kohana made her way into the car with two wrapped parcels hand.

Ryoutarou excused himself, heading to Naomi to bother her and have drinks made. He didn't want to leave the car, after all, but he also wanted to give the three at least a little bit of privacy.

The next week wouldn't be easy, he knew. Ryuutaros would get jealous of other people being close to Airi, and Momotaros would find a new way to destroy the Christmas tree, and wrapping paper would be strewn all over, making New Year's cleaning an even more frustrating experience than usual.

Still, he wondered how it would unfold, and if anything would come of this new chance for family to develop.


End file.
